By Mike Chambers
Correspondent
TRENTON, Ga. – For the second time in roughly a month, city commissioners in Trenton faced dozens of city and Dade County residents Monday night on whether local restaurants should be able to serve beer and wine.
While an Aug. 12 special called meeting was standing room only, Monday’s regular meeting brought out a smaller gathering of 40 to 50 people. Again, residents were reminded that no actual ordinance is on tap.
“We do not have an ordinance (to vote on), even if we wanted to,” said Commissioner Tommy Lawson.
Once again, residents took sides.
John Smith, pastor of Piney Grove Baptist, questioned the idea that selling alcohol would enhance city revenues greatly. He told commissioners last year’s $85,000 shortfall could not have been touched by any addition revenue from the sale and licensing of restaurant beer and wine.
“All you’re going to get is a nickel from the sale of a bottle of beer or glass of wine, $6 from a keg … plus the fees you get from licenses. No one would refute this would be a small amount of income,” Smith said.
Other opponents expressed moral concerns.
Betty Tate, the widow of a former Trenton minister, said she based her opposition on Scripture.
“I don’t know anything about business,” she said, “but I do know what’s right and what’s wrong … and my Bible [speaks] in so many places … against strong drink.”
But Mary Petruska countered that, when she goes out to dinner, she’d like to have a choice.
“If you would like a glass of wine at dinner, at this point you can’t, so a lot of revenue goes into Chattanooga,” she said. “If I’m going to spend money on a dinner, I want a glass of wine with my dinner.”
The phones “have not been ringing here much at City Hall” over the controversy, said Mayor Barton Harris.
“On the street, I’m getting 80 to 20 for it,” he said.
Lawson said his constituents have been “70 to 30 against” the issue.
“Most of the people I represent say they don’t want us to do it,” he said.
While Lawson did not commit to which way he would vote, he told the group “I feel that, if you’re elected to a small city council, or president of the United States, you’re elected to follow the will of people.”
The mayor and commissioners all called for more public input.
Mike Chamber is based in Rising Fawn, Ga. E-mail him at chambers@tvn.net.